Comment on Lionel 1615

Melgar, does it run? 

The 1615 was in my first set received from Santa Claus for Christmas 1955.  I think you are spot on with your comments!

For the price point at which these sold ($19.95 for the set, I believe), they are very well built and had enough rod detail to amuse any kid. 

This engine, along with the rest of the set I received long ago; still sees time around one of our two Christmas trees each year.

Curt

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Melgar, does it run? 

I power it up every so often and let the motor run and the wheels turn for a minute.

MELGAR

I have admired the 1615.  I will probably add one.  I need a good line-up from the 50's.  Lately I've been drooling over prewar cars on the 'Bay. 

MELGAR, if I can drive my 1955 Ford up north for family reunions, you can make that jewel earn her keep.

Bill

Odenville Bill posted:

I have admired the 1615.  I will probably add one.  I need a good line-up from the 50's. 

MELGAR, if I can drive my 1955 Ford up north for family reunions, you can make that jewel earn her keep.

Bill

Thanks, Bill.

My 1615 earns its keep when I admire it every time I'm at the layout. I'm sure you drive that '55 Ford gently too. I would.

MELGAR

I bought a 1615 at a show last January that was frozen solid for $5.00.  No tender .  Probably why it was $5,00.   Spent about 30 minutes clean, lube, chk e-unit, etc.  Runs very smooth.

Does yours have a copper cover riveted over the tongue of the drawbar?

I have a 1615 I received for Christmas in 1955. It is a fine runner. The strip on the drawbar is to improve the connection to the tender so that you have a better ground for the locomotive which has a short wheelbase.

Jeff2035 posted:

I have a 1615 I received for Christmas in 1955. It is a fine runner. The strip on the drawbar is to improve the connection to the tender so that you have a better ground for the locomotive which has a short wheelbase.

Thank you so much.

aussteve posted:

Does yours have a copper cover riveted over the tongue of the drawbar?

Yes. You can see it in the second and fifth photos that I posted, and also this one. I believe this is indicative of the 1956 and 1957 versions. The 1955 version supposedly had a black drawbar.

MELGAR

MELGAR, good looking switcher, the 1615 is a great runner. I have one.

I have a 1615 too, but more often run the 1656 steam switcher, which I prefer because the 1656 has the ringing bell as it runs and the light on the tender when going in reverse. Arnold

This one's for you, Melgar, the 1615's older brother, the 1656 pulling box cars from New Enland railroads, including State of Maine, New Haven and Rutland boxcars:

Arnold

I have the 1615 also. It was part of my first Lionel set back in 1955. It has been running all those years with no service at all. Last year I sent it to Hennings for a good cleaning and service. It should be good for another 60 years or so.

I've got a 1615 that I bought back in the Seventies.  A great -- if way too fast -- runner.  I have never run it very often, since, to my eyes, those big drivers just look very strange on what's meant to be a representation of a small switching locomotive.  Yeah, I know, it's a toy train.  But it still looks wrong to me.  And Lionel should really have put an illuminated tender on it.

It's easy to add a light to the slope-back tender.  My dad did this with our little MPC-era 8300 when I was a kid.

The 1615 is loosely based on the PRR B6 or A5; as such it's slightly LARGER than 1:48 scale.  The body may be close to Q-scale (17/64" to the foot.)

I've been waiting 30 years for someone to offer a slow-speed retrofit for Lionel's 4- and 6-wheel parallel plate motors.  I know for a fact that a couple different folks have come up with something like this for American Flyer steam.  Why not Lionel!

Lionel redesigned these motors at least five times since 1970, and took the easy way out every time.  Yes, I know they're "toy trains."  But these 0-4-0's have a high center of gravity, and many examples bear the scars of a trip off the table.  I'm not a kid anymore, and I would enjoy it more if it ran slower, especially for those of us with small layouts and sharp curves.

Maybe Neil Young will read this, and make a 'Signature Line' version of the 1615 with Legacy features and performance (as he did with the Texas Special F3 some years ago.)  I doubt it, but I'll never give up hope!

Ted S posted:

It's easy to add a light to the slope-back tender.  My dad did this with our little MPC-era 8300 when I was a kid.

The 1615 is loosely based on the PRR B6 or A5; as such it's slightly LARGER than 1:48 scale.  The body may be close to Q-scale (17/64" to the foot.)

I've been waiting 30 years for someone to offer a slow-speed retrofit for Lionel's 4- and 6-wheel parallel plate motors.  I know for a fact that a couple different folks have come up with something like this for American Flyer steam.  Why not us!

Lionel redesigned these motors at least five times since 1970, and took the easy way out every time.  Yes, I know they're "toy trains."  But these 0-4-0's have a high center of gravity, and many examples bear the scars of a trip off the table.  I'm not a kid anymore, and I would enjoy it more if it ran slower, especially for those of us with small layouts and sharp curves.

Maybe Neil Young will read this, and make a 'Signature Line' version of the 1615 with Legacy features and performance (as he did with the F3 some years ago.)  I doubt it, but I'll never give up hope!

 

Agreed, and let's have good smoke and sound too.

I wonder if the LC+2.0 steam switcher with front and rear electrocouplers in the latest Lionel catalogue priced at about $250 will be like this. Arnold

Ted S posted:

It's easy to add a light to the slope-back tender.  My dad did this with our little MPC-era 8300 when I was a kid.

Yes, it's a fairly straightforward job.  I did that to mine, and installed Lionel plastic-frame archbar trucks at the same time.  Also relettered it "Pennsylvania."  Improves the looks quite a lot.

I've had mine for a couple years, and though she has some paint chips, she is (or was when packed away when I lost my old workshop) one of the most reliable engines on the fleet, and for a small engine she can defiantly hold her own, that engine has walked off with 25 heavy weight freight cars and a caboose without even a wheel spin. Bought her a little friend in February, a prewar 0-4-0, can't wait to eventually see if that little baby can match her!

That engine looks brand new .  Where did you find it and what did you have to pay for it.?    I get a big kick out of seeing something like that still in such nice condition.  I agree about Lionel building solid products back then.   Nice find.